Lake Wales is home to 16,785 people in Florida. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 6,591 people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. The poverty rate is 22.4%, above the 12.5% national rate. The median age is 42.7, about 4 years above the US median. That trails the Florida median by roughly 24%.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $56,347, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 92%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lake Wales
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share2.3% → 30.8%(+28.6 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Black share34.2% → 21.8%(−12.5 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree14.3% → 20.8%(+6.5 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Lake Wales's population equals 2.1% of Polk County's. Its number of households without a car equals 4.4% of the county's. Its number of people who work from home equals 1.2% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)9.5%(92)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.6%(142)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era55%(535)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2%(19)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.8%(37)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 972 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lake Wales, decade by decade
Lake Wales population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
9,670
$46,878
$129,604
14.3%
60.0
2000
10,194
$48,973
$124,419
18.1%
72.9
2010
14,225
$52,298
$211,182
17.6%
75.3
2020
16,361
$58,354
$219,015
18.4%
82.5
2024
16,785
$56,347
$239,300
20.8%
82.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
